Aug 22, 2008 - The Hollywood Reporter says the search for a writer to tackle the adaptation of The Hobbit is now over. The two filmmakers intimately involved in bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's prequel to The Lord of the Rings will handle the jobs themselves after deciding the best people for the job were actually right under their noses.
Jackson and del Toro will write the screenplays for the two Hobbit movies along with Jackson's writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. As with Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies, The Hobbit movies will be shot simultaneously.
Rumor has it James McAvoy is in the running to play the lead role of Bilbo Baggins. However at the premiere of Hellboy 2, del Toro told me that at this point it's all just speculation.
Jackson recently wrapped filming of The Lovely Bones starring Mark Wahlberg and Saoirse Ronan.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
